Deflecting tool



June 1, 1954 l.. WJSTORM V 2,680,005

` DEFLECTING Tool.

Filed Feb. 24, 1948k 2 .Sheets-Sheet l 'l I r3 I la 3 I 48 I7 44 'Ti 75 52 5 '4 8x im, V5 4,0V 28 I4 7 5 l-v--ss l@ .5 1 2 g5; n 5+ 2 35 5 32 33 5' o 9 I l 'i 1 .A/Ms/urcw` wrok/vars L. W. STORM DEFLECTING TOOL 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Feb. 24, 1948 LYNN IY. STORM 58%?. @QM of `enlarged body head 60.

idly connected to a hemlspherical button I8 which ts into a concave surface 48 of a take-up ring I9, the take-up ring being countersunk from the lower side so as to provide a bore 48 adapted to permit limited lateral motion to the torsion spring I'I. The pitch of the torsion spring II may thus be regulated by the degree of interthreading between the top sub I and the stem 3. A set screw 'II xes the ring I 9.

A shroud sleeve having internally threaded section 3l is adapted to be threaded over an externally threaded portion 50 of the top sub I, and this shroud extends downwardly to protect the torsion spring I'I. This sleeve 3G terminates downwardly in a dished portion 5I of a concavity similar to the convex surface 52 of the retainer nut 13 and this construction permits the shroud sleeve 3l! not only to protect the torsion spring Il but the ball and socket connection hereinbefore described between the stem 3 and body 4.

A protective sleeve I5 is also provided to encase the softer metallic material of the upper portion of the body 4. This protective sleeve I5 forms a dovetail connection 54 with the body 4 at the lower end thereof and the upper end has .the same taper 55 thereon as has the shoulder I4 which forms the upper end of the body 4.

The shank 5l of the body 4 has a turned-down externally threaded section 52 thereon centrally of the body 4 where the shank merges into the A mounting sleeve 6I which is connected in halves by any well-known manner, not shown, is internally threaded over the externally threaded section 58 of the body 4 and this sleeve forms the support on which are mounted full gauge blades 29.

The iianged end 35 of the stem 3 has cylindrical driving keys 2| (best shown in Fig. 2) loosely iitted thereinto on diametrically opposite sides thereof. An orienting pin 25 is also pressed into the flanged end 35 at 90 degrees from the driving keys and the axes of the keys and pin are .in a transverse plane through the stem which is perpendicular to the stem axis. The keys 2l have wear lugs 23 .pressed over the outwardly extending ends of the keys and these lugs have finished driving faces 63 on one side thereof. The orienting pin 25 is also of a length to extend outwardly from the flanged end 35 of the stem 3. The body head has slots 25 and 2T therein to receive the wear lugs 23 of the keys 2i These slots 26 and 2l have legs 64 and 65 respectively which open upwardly into the shoulder i4 and which extend downwardly to substantially near the lower end of the protective sleeve l5. The body head 65 also has a slot 28 therein with a leg 66 which opens upwardly into the shoulder I 4 andwhich extends downwardly to substantially 'near the lower end of the sleeve I5.

The slots 2B and 21 also have generally horizontally extending legs 'I5 and 5'! therein which terminate in recesses 68 and B9 designed to receive the semi-circular faces Hl of the wear lugs 23. The slot 28 also has a horizontally extending leg 'II which terminates in a semi-circular shaped recess 'I2 designed to receive the orienting pin 25. It should be noticed that neither wear lugs 23 nor the outer` end of the pin 25 extend to the inner wall 80 (see Fig. 2) of the protective sleeve l5 and that the slots 26, 21 and 28 are formed only in the body head 55 and not in the sleeve I 5 which protects the interior elements of the body and stem assembly from debris entering from the bore of the well. i As shown in Fig. 3, the axes of the recesses 68 4 andl 69 are located vertically above the axis of the recess l2.

'I'he torsion spring II is formed to exert a counter-clockwise torque, as viewed from above, which acts through a spring anchor 4'I against the walls of the recess 'I3 in the shoulder 'I4 of the retainer nut I3. This force acts through the retainer nut I3 to pivot the whole stem 3, and the elements assembled thereon, in a counter-clock- Wise direction, around the modified ball and socket or knuckle joint connection between the stem 3 and body 4. This torsional movement is arrested when the orienting pin 25 is in abutment with the recess 'i2 of the slot 28, and the faces 'It of the wear lugs 23 rest in the recesses 68 and 69. With the orienting pin 25 thus positioned the tool is yieldably locked by the force of the torsional spring Il at the degree of tilt corresponding to the difference in elevation on the body of the axes of the recesses 68 and B9, and of the axis of the recess 12, this angle of tilt being about six degrees in the disclosurev shown but the structure may be varied from this degree of deflection.

When the drill string is rst rotated to commence drilling, the orienting pin 25 is moved clockwise out of the recess 'I2 to unlock the tool. Further rotation moves the driving faces 63 of the wear lugs 23 into driving abutment with the walls 76 of the slot legs 54 and 65, and still further rotation commences rotating together both stem 3 and body 4 so that the bit l commences drilling in the direction of deflection.

During a revolution, the body 4, as shown in the development of Fig. 3, moves successively upwardly and downwardly with relation to the orienting pin 25 and the wear lugs 23, the vertical slot leg 55v of the slot 28 moving up and down about the pin 25 without the pin abutting the slot walls. The knuckle joint connection between stern 3 and body 4, and the conlguration of the slots 26, 2l and 28 make such movement possible, the body 4 occupying the relative positions indicated by the dotted lines of Fig. 3 in the course of one revolution.

Broadly, the invention contemplates a means and method of deecting Well bores in which the direction of defiection is predetermined, and the means and method of this invention provide for yieldably locking the tool in this position against the force of a torsion spring to be released there- -from only upon the application of drilling rotation to the tube. This invention also contem- .plates a means and method of deecting Well .adapted for connection to a drill string, .a body adapted for connection to a bit, a knuckle joint for tiltably connecting said stem and body, driving keys and an orienting pin disposed about the lower portion of said stem in the same transverse plane, an upper end of said body being provided with cooperating substantially L-shaped slots to receive such keys and pin, such slots including substantially horizontal and vertical legs, the horizontal leg of such pin receiving slot being at a diierent elevation than the horizontal legs of such key receiving slots, and torsional means connected to such stem and body to yieldingly lock such keys and pin in such horizontal legs whereby such tool is yieldingly locked in a de ilecting position.

2. In a drilling tool the combination of a stem adapted for connection to a drill string, a body adapted for connection to a bit, a knuckle joint for tiltably connecting said stem and body, driving keys and an orienting pin disposed about the lower portion of said stem in the same transverse plane, an upper end of said body being provided with cooperating substantially L-shaped slots to receive such keys and pins, such slots including substantially horizontal and vertical legs, the horizontal leg of such pin receiving slots being at a different elevation than the horizontal legs of such key receiving slots, and torsional means about such stem above such body and torsionally connecting such stem and body whereby such keys and pin are yieldingly retained in such horizontal legs thereby yieldingly locking such tool in a deflecting position.

3. The drilling tool of claim 1 including exible sealing means disposed between and exteriorly of said body and interiorly of said stem, and shield means on said stem and body to protect said joint and slots from debris from a well bore.

4. In a drilling tool the combination of a stem adapted for connection to a drill string, a body adapted for connection to a bit, a knuckle joint for tiltably connecting said stem and body, driving keys and an orienting pin disposed about the lower portion of said stem in the same transverse plane, said body having in its upper end cooperating substantially L-shaped slots to receive such keys and pin, such slots including substantially horizontal and vertical legs. the horizontal leg of such pin receiving slot being at a different elevation than the horizontal legs of such key receiving slots, and torsional means externally of said stem and connected to such stem and such body for rotatably bearing against said joint to position said pin in the horizontal leg of such pin receiving slot whereby such tool is yieldably locked in tilted position and whereby on rotation of the tool for drilling such pin will rotate out of such horizontal leg of such pin receiving slot and the driving keys will contact the vertical legs of such key receiving slots thereby serving to transfer drilling rotation from the stem to the bit without transmitting load to the wearing mechanism of said tool.

5. A driving and orienting lock for a tiltable joint comprising, intertting first and second members, driving keys and an orienting pin disposed in a lateral plane about an end of the first member proximate said joint, the second member having cooperating substantially L-shaped slots proximate said joint adapted to receive such keys and pin, said slots including substantially lateral legs, the lateral leg receiving said pin being in a plane different from the lateral legs receiving said keys, and torsional means proximate orienting pin disposed about said ball in a trans.

verse plane, said socket being provided with slots and such slots having substantially longitudinal` and transverse legs receiving said keys and pin, the transverse leg receiving said pin being disposed in a plane different from that of the other transverse legs, and torsional means connected to said ball and socket connection to yieldingly lock said keys and pin in said lateral legs thereby yieldingly locking such knuckle joint in deflected position. y

7. A driving and orienting lock for deilecting tools comprising, a body having a socket at one end and adapted for connection to a bit, said socket having interconnecting lateral and longitudinal slots, a stem adapted for connection to a drill string, a ball element at the end of the stem and insertable within said socket thereby providing a ball and socket connection between the body and stem, lugs about said ball element, said slots receiving said lugs, one of said lugs being at an elevation different from that of the other of said lugs when the lugs are in the lateral slots thereby maintaining said ball and socket in tiltable position, and torsional means connected to said ball element and socket adapted to yieldably lock said lugs in said lateral slots and thereby yieldingly locking such driving and orienting lock in deflecting position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 771,457 Bullard Oct. 4, 1904 926,929 Dusseau July 6, 1,909

1,006,661 Knapp Oct. 24, 1911 1,546,630 Deavers July 21, 1925 1,796,106 Johnson Mar. 10, 1931 1,798,530 Haigh Mar. 31, 1931 1,805,678 Smith May 19, 1931 2,016,042 Lewis Oct. 1, 1935 2,147,491 Le Bus Feb. 14, 1939 2,173,309 Monroe Sept. 19, 1939 2,194,267 Brock et al. Mar. 19, 1940 2,197,991 Wright Apr. 23, 1940 2,266,383 Quintrell Dec. 16, 1941 2,275,832 Zublin Mar. 10, 1942 2,291,100 Oswald July 28, 1942 2,304,119 Potts Dec. 8, 1942 2,402,238 Carpenter June 18, 1946 

